Appreciative attention for people

“Things weren’t great”, Joyce told me. She’s an internal consultant at a large city municipality with 7,000 staff. Their social department of about 500 people showed alarming absenteeism numbers.

This social department helps the unemployed citizens of this city find a job. They offer various training, upgrading of skills, and above all, a network of local employers that are trying to fulfill any vacancies. They help young people find their first job or internship, they help the unemployed that are physically impaired, and they support starting entrepreneurs in the city.

“Looking at our absenteeism numbers, we noticed that almost 10% of our staff was absent. Analyzing this further, we found that most of these people weren’t ill. Many of them simply yearned for another position, either because they were getting older and wanted to take a step back, or because they had more potential and felt bored or obstructed…”

Absent or Present?

“Imagine! Our municipality offers lifetime employment so here they were: stuck for a paycheck. No longer a fit with their current position, but there wasn’t space to move within our organization. Everyone stayed put. People were demotivated and passive.”

The research on positive cultures shows the same: people thrive with supportive, appreciative attention! “During the culture session with the executive team, they were shocked. But the profile drove the message home: this is serious, and it is true. The current executives are focused on planning and control. They cling to the hierarchy, and to the shadow side; almost turning into bureaucracy. Nothing happens without a number of signatures. Everyone is waiting for others to do something. There’s analysis paralysis. Better safe than sorry, is the slogan. The executives scored low on empathy in the 360-degree feedback. They are controllers, really. Managers act as engineers, instead of servant leaders, or mentors who help their people.

One of the managers walked up to me after the session with tears in his eyes. Help me do this differently, he said. I really want to change and improve my leadership skills.” That’s why Joyce hired an external executive coach for the entire executive team who is helping them to focus more on people and their needs.

Stable stagnation

A few months after the first culture assessment, this department merged with the social workplace that offers jobs to people with special needs. The social workplace was led by interim leaders who were given a results-oriented assignment. They had to run the social workplace like a business and make money. These interim guys weren’t from an older generation of grey baby boomers, raised on power, planning and control. They were the prototype of moneymaking leaders, and the didn’t pay much attention to the people side of the organization either. They went for results.

Every annual appraisal focused on tasks and results. No leader ever asked an employee what they would like, or could learn. Employees, on the other hand, were acquiescent. They were used to the top-down culture, rather passive, not really motivated, and not used to taking initiative. It was a perfect balance of stagnation.
The harder the managers pushed, the less employees cared. They felt that the work was not their responsibility, they just executed. The managers were in control, and accountable.

Presence is up!

Joyce shares that the culture is slowly changing. The executive coach works closely with all leaders, both the older men of the social department and the younger interim guys that run the social workplace. The main focus is people skills, engaging and coaching people. The format of all annual appraisals now includes different questions and criteria. The main question is: What would you like to do in the next year? This is stimulating a different energy. It makes people think, slowly but surely.

“The change is palpable in the executive team”, says Joyce. “I see that they are different. They give each other feedback on people skills, and wonder: what would the people want…? This question was unheard of, a year ago.”

Their absenteeism rate is now approaching 6%. That means that presence is up! And not just by the numbers. People are more engaged at work. Their culture is developing, and people start to feel more included, and hopeful. The challenge is to keep up this good work…

How is your workplace culture? Are people absent or present?

Is there enough appreciative attention for people? This is an important first step to developing a more positive culture.

This is a real client case. Joyce is a pseudonym. Her organization wishes to remain anonymous. Thank you for the interview and for sharing, Joyce.

Do you want to learn more about developing a positive culture? Join the Positive Culture Academy. Go to the enroll page and start the change! The curriculum can be done self-paced and with your team. Help your organization develop its positive potential.